Dogtown and Z-Boys (Stacy Peralta, 2001)
The strength of this paean to a group of rebellious and innovative 70s-era skateboarders lies in its gorgeous and dynamically edited archival footage and photographs: I’d never before thought of skateboarding as an art form (as the movie claims more than once) but this stuff sure made me a believer for 90 minutes. Unfortunately, though, this is first and foremost a bid for immortality, and the effusive praise heaped upon the crew gets kind of tiring. (The fact that Peralta is a prominent member of said crew doesn’t help). And the movie never feels as rebellious as its subjects–even Peralta’s decision to leave in a mid-sentence throat clearing by narrator Sean Penn feels slick and calculated. Nevertheless, a very worthwhile look at a fascinating and underappreciated subculture. B
